Which term describes storing or transmitting information by discrete impulses?

• A. Longitudinal Wave
• B. Digital
• C. Transverse Wave
• D. Rarefaction

Answer: (B)

Storing or transmitting information with discrete impulses describes digital signaling, where signals exist as separate, on/off states rather than a smooth, continuous variation. In digital systems, information is encoded as pulses or voltage levels that represent binary values, typically 0 and 1. Computers rely on digital electronics, with transistors switching on or off to symbolize bits, and data is stored as patterns of these bits. When information is sent, it travels as a sequence of sharp pulses guided by a clock, which helps keep the bits aligned and reduces ambiguity. This discrete-pulse approach makes digital data more resistant to noise and easier to process and error-check.

This differs from how waves are described in physics. Longitudinal and transverse waves describe modes of motion in a medium, with particles moving in continuous ranges. Rarefaction is simply a region of lower pressure or density within a wave. So the term that fits storing or transmitting information by discrete impulses is digital.